Zutara
by Yulia-Averianova
Summary: This starts with end of season two but Zuko capture katara. Bad summary. Bte
1. Chapter 1

Through the corner of her eye Katara could see the lifeless body of the avatar lying only meters away from her. She wanted to run to him, to save him. But she couldn't. She was too focused on the stream of water energy moving through her hands. She never felt anything like it before, she couldn't tell which emotion it was, but she knew it had something to do with the boy that stood right in front of her. The sight of him just made her want to push harder. Something about him made he want to scream.

The memory of the way he had acted only several minutes before shot back to her mind. His voice had been so kind, his eyes so pained, his hand so soft…_No, Katara he's not like that. It was all an act. How can I be so stupid?! _Katara pushed even harder with strength she didn't know she had.

"Katara!" The voice of Sokka's voice came from the direction of Ang's lifeless body. "Katara, he's out dead. Barely breathing! We have to do something!"

Katara vaguely remembered the out line of the cave; if she could distract the two fire benders they could probably get way. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make for the life of the people she loved. A large crystal hung above Zuko's head if she could knock that down it would buy her sometime to tell Sokka the plan.

She closed her mind on everything that surrounded her and focused only on the water that was in front of her. She felt its energy, its power and pushed it from the inside of her mind to her hand and the stream that separated the golden eyed ermine and the water shot up to the very roof of the cave.

Katara ran over to the small body her brother was cradling in his arms. Ang's face looked peaceful. Somewhere deep inside see envied him so much. How she wished she could escape so easily from everything. "Sokka, take Ang and get out of here, I'll stay here and keep them distracted!"

"N...no. Katara I can't leave you here by yourself. I'll stay here and you go."

"Sokka. Stop being hardheaded. Ang is going to be out for a while. You have to keep him Safe. And besides you can't get them away with just your sword. I'll be okay. Just take this," Katara handed him the bottle of healing water. "And get Ang somewhere warm." Sokka looked as his sister. How could he just leave her? He had promised to protect her. How can he just leave? But inside he knew that Katara was able to fight anyone much bigger and stronger than some self absorbed and his wanna be fire lord sister.

"Okay. But you have to promise that you will come back. Otherwise I won't leave."

"Sokka just go." Katara really didn't want to make that promise.

"Katara. Promise me." Sokka needed to hear her say it in order to make himself actually leave.

"Fine, I promise. Now go!" Katara said pushing Ang up on Sokka's arms. Katara knew she had to lie in order to keep them safe.

"You better keep it, otherwise I'm going to be so pissed." Sokka hated goodbye and didn't want to seem weak in front of the enemy.

"Go Sokka. Get Toph." He pushed him away and turned around to face the now broken wall between her and the person he hated more then the fire lord himself, his arrogant and two faced son. In the corner of her eye she could see Sokka, with Ang in his arms, waiting for a few doubtful minutes, then turned around and ran for the door. Katara took a few even breaths, and shot a long stream of water, then prayed to god that she could keep her promise to Sokka.

Zuko's found that he had to push with all his strength to make the fire come out from him. He watched is shock as the small waterbender was left all alone to face to highly trained firebenders.

"Ha, stupid girl thinks she can hold us off. Come on lets finish her Zuzu" Azula laughed. Zuko didn't responded he could feel Azula fire get strong but the harder he pushed the weaker his hands got. "Come on Zuko, what are you waiting for?! Finish her!" Azula yelled at him. The pressure was getting too much for the prince. He fell to the ground, unable to withstand the regret he felt for his actions. _What is wrong with me? I feel sorry for some girl, some worthless girl._

"I can't," he whispered. I sharp growl escaped Azula's lips.

"No wonder dad banished you. We are really going to have to work on your inner firebender. I guess I'll just finish her off myself then." Zuko's head snapped up to see his sister aim the fire at the ground making a bomb effect. The shock wave sent the waterbender fallen to the ground. Azula moved quickly toward the waterbender. Zuko felt something in the bottom of his stomach but ignored it. _Stupid waterbender. _

The ground under Katara felt hot, burning hot. She felt something hot and rich flow down the left cheek. She dabbed carefully at her face on to regret the pain that brought her. She realized that something on her body hurt even more then her forehead. He looked back to see her right leg being crushed by a large rock. She let out a soft pained sigh but was taken back when a sudden pull of her hair made her jump. Her head was pulled up to meet her villains golden eyes. "You know for a mere peasant you sure do think a lot of your self." Azula purred close to her face. "But it's kinda sweet a young girl scarfises her life for the one of the avatar in hope of saving the world. Isn't it sad that no one will every no how you died, how you suffered." A fire blade shot out of her arm and began to move forward for Katara. She closed he eyes as she began to see her life flash before her eyes. She saw herself at the age of three playing with Sokka and her parents in the snow. She saw herself sitting round a camp with Ang, Sokka, Toph, Apa and Momo. Laughing, living. She saw Zuko standing in front of her, her hand on his face.

"No!" It took Katara a while to realize that wasn't Azula's voice. Katara opened her eyes to see Azula's wrist being held by Zuko. "She might help us in capturing the Avatar. He is very attached to her." Zuko hadn't looked once at her.

"Wow Zuko, I'm impressed. And here I was think you've gone soft." Azula laughed. Zuko didn't reply. "Okay then you is in charge of her. We are going to the battle ground's on Cobramonkey Island. You need to get as much information out of her as possible." Azula looked down at her. "Be willing to do anything it takes." She laughed. She pushed Katara's head down but let go of her hair and walk away towards the direction of the throne room leaving Zuko and Katara alone.

"Get up." Zuko said sharply. She didn't look up at him but she could feel by the tone in his voice he was tense. Really tense. "Come on get up." The tone was a little loud and more aggressive. Katara still didn't move. "I can always make you." Zuko warned.

"I can't" Katara whispered. A long minute of silence passed and Zuko bent down to her level.

"Please just get up. I really don't want to hurt you." Zuko said looking way. "Please, just co-operate." Katara couldn't tell if the _'I don't want to hurt you' _part was real or a really good lie.

"No it's not that." She whispered bitterly. "My leg, it's stuck, and hurts really badly," Zuko looked around her toward her leg, and sighed with frustration. Then he got up and moved towards it, and with one simple movement lifted the rock and dropped it behind him.

"Can you stand?" He asked not making eye contact. Katara moved her hands to the floor and pushed up slowly shifting her weight on to her leg. The pain shot from her foot, up her leg and through her spin.

"No," she winced. Another frustrated sigh came from Zuko. And Katara felt something hot touch her body. Zuko had lifted Katara up into his arms.

She was confused. She didn't know how to act. But something about his embrace made her forget about the pain. About everything. She leaned her head against his chest.

Katara felt Zuko stiffen. And chuckled quietly. She closed her eyes and listen to the sound of his heart beat. It reminded her of the sounds of fire nation ship bombing the wall in her village. It remained her of her mother death.

"I hate you," she whispered quietly almost unsure of weather Zuko could hear her. Another frustrated sigh but this one was very quiet. It reassured her he heard her words.


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko stood on the top deck of the Fire Nation ship. It had been three days since they left Masami bluff, a port village north of Ba Sing Sai. They were sailing on the Boiling Sea and were only an hour away from Cobramonkey Island. In his head, all he could hear were three words being repeated over and over. _'I hate you'_.

"Your highness, we are getting ready to pull into port. We will be sending down a guard to get the prisoner." The captain of the ship told him.

"No, it's okay. I'll do it," Zuko said, snatching the keys out of his hands and turning to walk to the stairs which lead to the prisoner cells. "Azula put me in charge of her anyway."

***

Katara lay on the bed in her small cell facing the wall. Zuko hadn't spoken to her since she had told him she hated him. She felt bad, really bad. She had never actually told anyone she hated them. The guilt burnt inside her. She hadn't eaten anything since the morning she was in Ba Sing Sai, so that added to the burn. Suddenly, there was a soft click coming from the door behind her. She was surprised because no-one had come into the room since she was put there. The silent rush of air as the door opened made Katara shiver. A familiar sigh made her body tense. She didn't know why. She heard the sound of footsteps grow closer and closed her eyes. The edge of the bed moved as someone sat on it. Katara felt her breathing turn into panting and suddenly she felt it. A soft touch on the side of her face. It was soft and gentle and sent an electric vibe down her whole body. It was only a few seconds that the hand lay there, but it felt like it was long. Katara sat up to face the person that had come in. Of course she knew who it was, how could she not. She turned to face him, only to wish she hadn't. There he sat, the person that made her want to scream and punch someone, only a few inches away from her. This made her breath even harder. She was aware of everything his body was doing. His hand was half raised in the air. It was what had touched her she guessed. "Zuko?" She whispered softly


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the hold up. Been so busy!!! Drama, photography and Math's assessments suck!!! But I Got an E so…Yey! Any way here's more…

A big freaking thanks to Amenda.

Zuko felt like he had just woken up from a dream and realized that he wasn't where he thought he was. _What am I doing? _He looked down at his hands, feeling the pressure where his fingers touched her face. He looked up again to meet her eyes. They were child like, filled with wonder and questions of what had just happened.

_Go on. Say something. _"I'm…" '_Sorry'?! say some thing, anything. You're the prince of the fire nation for crying out loud! You shouldn't be speechless in front of anyone, especially in front of a prisoner. _Then it hit him she was just that. A prisoner. He couldn't feel anything for her. It was not right.She hated him. She was his enemy and that was all.

"I came here to tell you that we will be arriving at the training ground soon." Katara jumped as Zuko changed. He was back to being the wannabe fire lord he was when she first meat him. It must have been some sort of trick he was trying to do to get information out of her. He bent down; picking up some rags and throwing them at her

"I brought you this." Katara pick up a fire nation uniform that was obviously not meat to be worn by a girl. "I don't think you can wear yours any longer." Katara shivered even though it was meant to be a joke it sound more like a warning. He turned to leave "Get dressed. Then when you're finished knock on the door. Be quick. If you're not done in 10 minutes I'm coming in." Just as he was about to turn the handle something brought Katara to see if he had truly gone back to being the cold mean fire nation prince he was when they first met.

"Zuko?" she said in a shy voice. It sounds more like a whisper. At first she wasn't sure he heard her. But he turned slowly and faced her. For a second she wasn't sure why but Katara thought she saw torment on his face.

"What?" He snapped at her.

"Thanks, for the cloths." She gave him a smile. He looked at her a moment he eyes were as if they were saying goodbye. Then he turned at left, leaving Katara to feel as if her heart had just been ripped out.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been about three weeks since Katara was captured. She couldn't be sure though. Her life had become an endless cycle. She was either being interrogated by one of the generals or passed out from the pain the interrogation had brought. They would always ask the same question _'What are the Avatar's plans?' _or _'Where was he heading the last time you saw him?' _But Katara didn't say anything. In fact she didn't talk at all. She would just take everything that came at her. Sometimes if she was really weak a few screams would escape. At those times she could swear that over the screams she could hear someone bangs against the door wanting to get in. But she passed that as her imagination. Hallucinations from the pain.

Katara lay on a bed made of hay. The guard had just left after the torturing session, leaving her to wait for unconsciousness to come and drag her away from the pain. Everything that came in contact with her body caused unimaginable pain. The hay felt like needles. He hair felt like a house was on top of her. The cloths on her felt like she was being cut with millions of knives. She still had the same cloths on that Zuko had given her. That was the last time Katara had spoken to any one. The memories of that day burned her. The pain of Zuko leaving and the look he had made the physical pain of being tortured feel like a scratch.

She felt that burning grow as the scene played over and over in her mind. The burning spread over her eyes darkening her vision. And slowly the rest of her sense followed. Dragging her into the Abyss, where she couldn't run away from the nightmare.

***

Zuko sat in the royal quarters. This was where he had stayed when he was little and he came with his mum to see the new soldiers get trained. It somehow reminded him of the palace back home; the same red and gold design, the same expensive furniture, the same feeling of being in a stranger's house instead of being home. Zuko looked out into the court yard. Fireworks showed the celebrations were on the way. Today was a national holiday for the fire nation. An anniversary of when the gods first gave the fire nation the gift of fire. That man had become the very first fire lord. Making every first born son the fire lord after that. Zuko was part of that line. How it made him sick to think that he was born into the life he was. If only he was born as a peasant of the fire nation, an earth bender, or maybe even…a water bender. Then surly he could have what he wanted most... "What do I want most?" Zuko whispered.

A loud knock broke him out of his thoughts. "Can I come in?" There came a loud and energetic voice as a young boy peeked out. Zuko turned to see Lee, the son of one of the general's that ran the battle grounds. Lee was about fifteen and followed Zuko around everywhere like a puppy dog. Zuko thought he would not make a good solider when it came to it. He was too energetic to be trusted with any kind of weapon. He was one of those people that that got even more immature as they got older.

"Sure," sighed Zuko. Lee ran in and did a bomb dive on the sofa.

"So Zuko, why aren't you out there enjoying the celebration?"

"I'm not really in the celebrating mood." Zuko turned back to the window.

"Why not?" Is something troubling you? Is it a girl?" Zuko could tell by the sound of his voice he was grinning.

"Yeah you could say that."

"Is she hot? Do I know her? Are you like in love with her? Does she..." the last question made Zuko's heart sank.

"I don't know" Zuko whispered.

"What?" Lee asked breaking out of he speech of mindless speech.

"Nothing. Hey is anyone looking after the prisoners?" Zuko asked pretending not to care.

"I don't know. Why? There's no one that interesting there. Well, except the water bender girl. One of the guards told me that she didn't surrender even after they did an air burn on her." Zuko flinched. "I would really like to have a look at her. She's not some monster, is she? I remember when you did an air burn on me when we were little it hurt like hell…Zuko what are you doing?" Zuko was at the door.

"I don't know." He sighed and left.


End file.
